


All Thumbs

by Isis_McGee



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Beekeeper Castiel, Deliberate Text Speech, F/M, Fluff, Gardener Meg, Gardens & Gardening, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 04:49:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4291389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isis_McGee/pseuds/Isis_McGee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlie suspects that her boss at the greenhouse, Meg, and their bee-guy, Cas, are sleeping together. She doesn’t really need proof, though she gets it. (Aka fluff with Meg and Cas as gardeners of a sort)</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Thumbs

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for a megstiel/chestervelle fic exchange on tumblr and I realized I never posted it.

_The Queen: ‘how are things over @ the shop?’_

_Number 1 Handmaiden: ‘fine charlie no1has come in & bought ur precious herminy statues or whatever’_

_The Queen:  ‘it’s ‘Hermione’ Dean’_

_Number 1 Handmaiden: ‘whatever red what did you want’_

_The Queen: ‘I can’t just want to chat with my best friend and sometimes coworker? :)’_

_Number 1 Handmaiden: ‘no’_

_The Queen: ‘Ok fine. I wanna gossip. I think there’s something going on between my boss and our bee-guy’_

_Number 1 Handmaiden: ‘y’_

_The Queen: ‘b/c he doesn’t need to be here today. he must be sleeping with her’_

_Number 1 Handmaiden: ‘good 4 them every1 needs some after work ass’_

_The Queen: ‘no this is waaaaaay weir’_

_The Queen: ‘*weird’_

_Number 1 Handmaiden: ‘idc tbh g2g customer’_

Charlie twisted her lips up in annoyance; she was bored out of her mind at Masters Greenhouse and Gardens and without Dean to text it would be even worse. For the last couple weeks that had been how she kept herself entertained. It was late in the season‒ there’d been two customers all day but she saw cars full of kids with pumpkins on their laps and face paint on driving past the greenhouse back to Ericson every half hour. Charlie had looked wistfully out the window at every one of them. She would have gladly dealt with children if it meant human interaction.

But, her boss sort of terrified her most days and it was worse when work was slow. Meg always wound up so entrenched in her plants that she snapped at everyone when interrupted, scaring off half her potential customers who did come in. She made it obvious her love was the plants and not the business. The last few days Meg had been replanting their mums, getting them ready to be moved to the front of the greenhouse display. They should have taken over the display in front of the pumpkins weeks ago, but when their bee-guy, Cas, had told Meg that when he’d stopped by the last time, she’d sneered at him and told him it was her business. Charlie had wanted to try not to watch the argument, but it was her only entertainment.  Plus, she couldn’t ever ignore the sexual tension of whatever room Meg and Cas shared.

She’d felt it again today, but she hadn’t seen Cas come in. The fact that she had no idea where Meg went either just made her suspicious. She heard a door shut and narrowed her eyes.  There was definitely something going on between them

*

“I think Charlie is getting suspicious out there,” Meg smirked. Cas wrinkled his brow.

“You say that as though I’m the one who didn’t want our relationship out in the open.”

“Oh, it’s a relationship?” Cas stepped closer to Meg when she asked. He placed a finger beneath her chin to tilt her face up to him. A small smile still sat on her mouth.

“Even if you didn’t drag me back here to kiss you without any prying eyes, we’d still have a relationship, Meg.” Meg questioned him with nothing more than an arched brow. “I’d still be the beekeeper for your family business. I’d still help you with your garden.”

Meg rose up on her toes and dragged Cas down to kiss him, loud and filthy, before pulling back and asking “was that a come-on, Clarence?”

There was a glint in Cas’ eye that Meg felt tingle all through her; he wanted to lean down and kiss her back, push her onto her back on her desk, but he was stopping himself. Meg toyed with the idea of convincing him that no one had come in all day so desk-sex would have been acceptable but Cas spoke up before she could begin.

“No. Today I am here on business. I was trying to tell you before you pulled me in here. I have honey for you‒”

“I bet you do,” Meg said, her hand dropping to give Cas a quick goosing.

“Stop that. For you to sell. If it doesn’t sell‒ no, I know about the money troubles‒ keep it. It’s a gift.”

Meg shook her head. “I’m not taking charity.”

Cas shook his head right back at her. “You misunderstand. It’s not charity, it’s a gift. Can I not give my girlfriend a gift?”

“I don’t know, am I your girlfriend?”

“Secretly, I think yes,” Cas nodded. He didn’t give Meg time to respond, just swooped down to capture her in a kiss again. Her butt hit her desk and she tried to pull Cas down on top of her so she could lay back but he wouldn’t budge. He kept kissing her though and she let out a small growl of frustration into his mouth. She could feel that he wanted to laugh so she broke the kiss off. He looked disappointed.

“Fine, if you’re here to work, let’s work.  You can’t have it both ways, so go out and get this honey and tell Charlie to set it up as a display at the counter or whatever. Then meet me in the back greenhouse.”

Cas ran a hand through his hair as though to smooth it, but he ended up making it stick up even worse. Meg couldn’t help the smile that formed.

“What’s in the back greenhouse at this time of year?”

“That’d be telling, wouldn’t it?”

*

Cas’ hair was an absolute mess when he walked out of Meg’s office and when Charlie saw him she reached for her phone immediately. She hadn’t expected Cas to head her way and she tried to shield her phone and the message ‘ _HE HAS SEX HAIR. DEF SEXING’_ clearly displayed behind the register.

“Hey, Castiel,” Charlie said as he approached. Her voice came out too bubbly and she knew it. Cas didn’t seem to notice.

“Hello, Charlie,” he replied. He set his hands on the rough wooden counter and went on, his attention all on Charlie. “I have honey for you to sell and Meg has asked me to bring it to you to set up. I hope that won’t be too much trouble.”

Charlie shook her head with a grin. “No, that won’t be too much trouble.” Cas grinned back and patted the counter a little before turning to go to his car. Charlie smiled after him and heard Meg’s door open again. She turned to see her heading toward the back of the building. “I like him,” Charlie called out. Meg’s scowl turned to one of confusion rather than annoyance when she registered what Charlie said.

“Great for you, Bradbury,” she said, rolling her eyes. Without another word, she left Charlie alone again, heading toward the back. Charlie clicked her tongue softly and reprimanded herself for thinking that her boss would ever be remotely human to her. She didn’t have much time to contemplate her boss before Cas was returning, two handled paper bags in each of his hands.

“Here, let me help you,” Charlie said as she came around the counter and taking a bag from each of Cas’ hands. She carried the bags back to the counter and began unloading the mason jars full of honey. “What should we price these at?”

Cas cocked his head to the side. “Well, honey is going for about 5.50 a pound right now and these are about a pint. To sell them you’d want to be competitive, especially since they’re a gift. 5$ a piece seems about right.”  Charlie nodded and Cas winced. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to over explain.”

“You’re alright, Castiel,” Charlie reassured him.

“I’ll let you get back to work. Meg told me she needs my help in the back greenhouse.”

“I bet she does,” Charlie muttered under her breath and teasingly as Cas began to walk away. He turned sharply to look at Charlie and she felt her cheeks color. “Have fun with that!” she called cheerfully hoping it would cover up her insinuation. Cas hesitantly smiled back and Charlie knew it hadn’t worked.

 _The Queen:_ ‘ _he knows I know oh god :/ kill me’_

_Number 1 Handmaiden: ‘haha u suck bradbury’_

_*_

Meg was already wrist deep in soil when Cas came in and said “You’re right; Charlie does think we’re sleeping together.” Meg didn’t have the chance to tell him that of course she was right, she was a genius, before Cas was looking around the greenhouse with wonder and a “whoa.”

Meg felt her shoulders hunch in defensiveness. This was her personal collection of plants. No one of the public had been back here; it was her sanctuary.

“Are these all carnivorous?” Cas asked as he peered at a corkscrew plant. Before Meg could reply, Cas answered himself as he turned and looked at the plant behind that. “Yes, they are, aren’t they?  That’s a lovely specimen of butterwort.”

Meg glowed at Cas’ fascination and his compliment. It was clear he’d forgotten that she had asked him back here not simply for the ego boost but for actual help.

“Thanks. There’s more that I want to do with this collection though. I’ve got a line on a Cobra Lily and I want it. I’ve got to make a space for it though and I could use your help figuring out how to make it work.” Meg hadn’t told anyone about the plant, certainly not that she truly wanted to have it, but it didn’t feel strange to tell Cas. “You’ve dealt with aquatic plants, haven’t you?”

Cas nodded. “Yes. And I’d love to help you with a Cobra Lily. I’ve never seen one‒”

“Yeah, not a lot of people have,” Meg interrupted.

“How did you find it?”

“I know people,” Meg shrugged, not willing to give away her secret.  Cas didn’t pry and Meg went on, preventing him from doing so even if he had wanted to. She pointed and said “I’m thinking that I can use that corner to make a cycling pond.”

Cas murmured his agreement and the two of them were suddenly lost in their work, forgetting all about their earlier kiss and Charlie’s suspicions and anything that wasn’t how to turn this back greenhouse into a space for Meg to house every carnivorous plant she could get her hands on. It was two hours before either of them had a stray thought. Cas had asked about the hooks for hanging baskets and Meg got a gleam in her eye.

“No hanging baskets back here,” she told him, grabbing onto his wrist and pulling him forward to her. He looked down confused, but Meg hoisted herself up a little to sit on the metal table that had held flats of perennials at one time in Masters Greenhouse and Gardens’ life. She spread her legs, not caring she was surely grinding even more dirt into her jeans, and got Cas to settle between them. His hands went to her waist as she raised hers off his shoulders and wrapped them around the hanging chains. “But I think we can find a use for them.”

Her smirk wasn’t even fully formed before Cas was kissing her.

*

Honestly, there was no reason for Charlie to be there anymore. They were half an hour from closing and no one had come in since the two customers earlier in the day. Charlie could hear a bowl of mac and cheese and a Battlestar Galactica marathon calling her name at home. She would just go find Meg and explain the situation. If she happened to have her camera on her phone open hoping to catch Cas and Meg making out for proof for Dean that there was something going on, then who could blame her, right?

She didn’t bother to go lock the front door before she began to wander back to the back greenhouse. And when she got there she didn’t bother to knock, since she was trying to get proof of something. Which was exactly why she got way more of an eyeful than she had expected, and her finger snapped the picture before she could process it. She let out a squeak and slammed the door, knowing that no matter what, the image of Cas’ naked butt moving between Meg’s thighs while she grabbed onto the metal hooks meant for hanging baskets was burned into her brain for life even if she hadn’t had photographic proof.

She refused to look at the picture, but she still couldn’t delete it, and she returned to her post at the cash register. She could wait until closing. Then she wouldn’t have to look Meg in the face.

*

“Did you hear something a minute ago?” Meg breathed into Cas’ ear.

“You just told me your ears were ringing,” Cas pointed out. Any other guy would sound proud saying it, but he said it as a fact. He was pulling his pants back on as his chest was heaving slightly.

“Still think I heard something,” Meg said. She slid herself off the table and bent down to pull on her underwear and her pants. When she stood up she pressed a kiss to Cas’ lips and went on. “Through the ringing I mean.”

Cas was pulling on his shirt. “Yes, I believe I did as well. You know it was probably Charlie.”

Meg shrugged uncaringly. “Probably.”

Cas cocked his head to the side. “So now you don’t care?” His hand paused halfway through trying once again in vain to straighten his hair.

“Well if you want to be a big girl about it and call me your girlfriend then I shouldn’t worry about other people knowing,” Meg explained. She was blushing, just slightly, but enough that Cas smiled and moved to give her a gentle peck.

“I do want to call you my girlfriend. And I know you want me to, Meg. You don’t have to pretend with me.  You might be a little like those sundews we transferred, but you don’t have to catch me. I’m already here. I’m already stuck. I want to be.”

Meg rolled her eyes but she knew she was still blushing. “Don’t go getting sappy on me, Cas.” She could see that Cas tried to keep from rolling his eyes at that; she tried to make it easier by shooting him a withering look. “Remember, these sundews are just for our eyes.”

Cas looked considering before speaking. “But why?”

Meg arched a brow. “Are we talking about us or the plants? Because I thought we just went over this.”

“The plants,” Cas said. He must have known she would question him, because he went on. “A carnivorous garden would be quite the draw for some people. Especially here when there’s no place else for the general public to see them, let alone buy them. I could help you breed them to get them plentiful enough to sell some. It’d up business. Get you more money.”

Meg crossed her arms over her chest. Cas slipped his hands into his pockets and didn’t look away from her gaze even though it was hard.

“They’re mine.”

Cas nodded. “I know, but why not share? They’re stunning.” Neither of them said anything for a moment but they kept looking at each other.

Finally, Meg pursed her lips, but she let her arms fall. “I’ll think about it.”

“Alright then.”

“Go find out what Charlie knows, would you? She’s terrified of me and she likes you.”

“Should employees be terrified of their bosses?”

Meg answered without hesitation. “I don’t care. I like it that way.” She pulled Cas to her one last time. “And I like this this way too.”

She sent Cas on his way with a smile on her lips.

*

Charlie was staring at her phone, unable to keep from thinking about picture saved there. She couldn’t delete it, but she couldn’t send it to Dean. She just couldn’t. Still, she did have a draft of a message with the picture attached ready to be sent to Dean should she change her mind and realize she could send it. She had just opened the draft up again when she jumped nearly half a foot at Cas’ voice.

“Hello again.”

Charlie practically threw her phone to the side hoping it’d stay behind the register. She, of course, had no such luck and it slid to the end of the counter. She would have mentally cursed the slickness of her phone had she not been too busy panicking and trying to get off the high stool she’d been perched on to get to her phone.

“Oh, I’ll get it for you, I’m up already,” Cas said.

“No! That’s okay, I mean. I can get it. Gotta stretch my legs, stay on my toes and all!” Charlie tried to protest. Cas just tilted his head in the way he did and waved her off. Charlie almost fell off the stool, knocked it over, but did get her hand on her phone before Cas could. Cas raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything until Charlie had straightened up her seat and sat back down.

“What happened to stretching your legs?”

“Oh, well, you know,” Charlie said, still completely red-faced. Cas nodded slowly. Charlie had never thought she’d see him look suspicious but that was the only way to describe the look on his face.

“Charlie, was there something on your phone that‒”

But he was interrupted by Charlie’s phone buzzing madly on the counter. Charlie seized the opportunity and picked it up with a “hello?” without even looking who it was.

“Dude, did you just send me porn?” Dean asked, his voice carrying through the speaker. Charlie opened her mouth to try to cut him off, but she failed. “You totally just sent me porn of the bee guy and your boss, you fre‒”

“Sorry, Dean, gotta go!” Charlie had never hit the hang up button on her phone as quickly as she did then. She couldn’t even look at Cas. The silence held a palpable tension and when Charlie gulped she knew it was audible. Cas cleared his throat.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t show that to anyone else.”

Charlie finally looked up, hoping her apology was written on her face. “Oh, god, Castiel, I didn’t even mean to send it to Dean, it’s just that we were talking earlier and‒”

“Charlie, it’s alright. We thought you might have some suspicions. I didn’t expect you to get photographic evidence to confirm your suspicion but‒”

“I didn’t mean to! I mean, I did. But I didn’t expect there to be sex. Just kissing maybe or something, I don’t know. I’ll delete it right now‒”

“Send it to me before you do.”

Charlie gaped, all verbal momentum lost. Cas didn’t look embarrassed at all and that made Charlie feel even more embarrassed and she couldn’t explain it at all. He looked imploringly and she found her voice again.

“What’s your number?” Cas rattled it off and Charlie hit a few buttons before saying “Sent” and hearing the tinkling of bells that must have indicated Cas receiving the message. He took the phone out and he looked considering at the screen, his head cocking even further to the side than normal and his brows lowering into a squint. Charlie deleted the photo and breathed an internal sigh of relief.

“Can you make sure Meg doesn’t fire me for this?” Charlie asked after a moment. Cas looked up and smiled softly.

“Yes, I can do that.”

Charlie smiled too. “Thank you.”

Cas nodded. “Well, good night, Charlie.”

“Good night, Castiel,” she said as she watched him walk away, phone still in hand and using the other to dig out his car keys. As he left, Charlie sent out a little prayer that whatever Meg felt for the man would have an effect on how convincing he could be. She really needed her job.

*

_Clarence: ‘I meant what I said b4 about the plants’_

_Meg: ‘i kno. Said I’d think about it.’_

_Clarence: ‘k. c u tomorrow?’_

_Meg: ‘can’t stay away?’_

_Clarence: ‘don’t want to’_

_Meg: ‘good. c u tomorrow.’_

_Clarence: ‘btw Charlie took this.’ Attach. 1_

_Meg: ‘oww oww. What a dime you are Clarence’_

_Clarence: ‘thank you. Good night meg ilu’_

_Meg: ‘…did u just say ilu to say you love me?’_

_Clarence: ‘is that not acceptable?’_

_Meg: ‘im going to make fun of you mercilessly bc we are not 13.’_

_Clarence: ‘I apologize. It felt safe tho. Safer than the actual words.’_

_Meg: ‘real words too fast?’_

_Clarence: ‘yes’_

_Meg: ‘I agree. Goodnight Clarence’_

_Clarence: ‘yes good night’_

_Meg: ‘o & ilu2’_

_Clarence: ‘_  :)'


End file.
